According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, over 25 million Americans over the age of 40 have cataracts, and by the time we reach our 70s, half of us will be dealing with this incredibly common clouding of the lens inside the eye.
In fact, cataracts are considered by the medical community as a normal consequence of aging!
Sorry, but I don’t buy it. There is nothing “normal” about your eyes clouding over to the point where your vision is decreased, or you are even blinded! Every disease or sickness is the result of an inner imbalance, an external harm and/or a nutrient deficiency, and cataracts are no exception.
Luckily, there are measures you can take to help decrease your risk of cataracts and keep your vision clear well into your golden years!
Here are 8 of the best:
1) Wear sunglasses
Protecting your eyes from UV radiation can decrease your risk of cataracts, which occur when proteins in the lens of your eye get damaged.
So, on bright sunny days, be sure to protect your eyes by wearing sunglasses or a hat.
2) Get regular exercise
Research has shown that physical activity can lower your chance of developing cataracts by more than one-third, cut your risk of developing macular degeneration by more than half, and lower the increased eye pressure associated with glaucoma!
This is yet another great reason to work some regular exercise into your days.
Notice I said “regular” and “exercise” in the same sentence…
Meaning it should be something you do at least 3-4 days a week, and it should be something that raises your heart rate and makes you sweat.
Pick an activity that works for you and get going! Just be sure to get your doctor’s OK first.
3) Limit refined carbs
Refined carbohydrates (sugars, white flour, white rice, white bread, cookies, pastries, cakes, bagels, rolls, bakery goods, etc.) all quickly turn to sugar (glucose) once they're broken down by your body.
And having a regular diet of foods like these increases your risk of insulin resistance and eventually Type 2 diabetes.
Diabetes can damage the blood vessels that service your eyes and lead to blindness. Plus people with Type 2 diabetes have a 72 percent increased risk of certain types of cataracts and are twice as likely to develop glaucoma as nondiabetics.
4) Get enough eye-healthy nutrients
Vitamins A, C and E, the mineral zinc, and the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin are all crucial to eye health:
- Vitamin A has been shown to protect against loss of vision caused by cataract and macular degeneration. In addition, it helps the progression of neuropathy (nerve damage) in the eyes caused by diabetes.
- Vitamin C protects your vision by fighting damaging, disease-causing free radicals.
- Vitamin E works with vitamins A and C to keep your cells and tissue strong, protect from the harmful effects of inflammation and decrease the risk of age-related macular degeneration.
- Lutein has been affectionately nicknamed “the eye vitamin” and has strong protective effects on the macula and lens of the eye.
- Zeaxanthin also helps protect the eye’s tissue, lens and macula, which in turns supports clear vision and prevents cataracts.
The best way to ensure you have health-supporting levels of these vital eye nutrients is to have a diet of wholesome real foods (especially lots of fresh vegetables of all colors) and supplement with an outstanding multi-vitamin formula like Super Core.
Super Core contains therapeutic levels of ALL the eye nutrients I mentioned above, plus a full range of other essential vitamins, nutrients, antioxidants and anti-inflammatories to support better health from head to toe!
5) Embrace the power of turmeric
The polyphenol curcumin—which gives the spice turmeric its classic golden color—has been shown in research to help protect against the formation of cataracts.
Turmeric is found in Indian cuisine, but unfortunately, the amount you could get from your diet is not at the therapeutic level needed to provide strong protection against disease.
But Optimal Turmeric Blend can help ensure you have health-supporting levels of this crucial compound! Optimal Turmeric Blend provides 750 mg of organic curcumin in every 2-capsule dose, plus 5 mg of black pepper extract to improve absorbability.
In addition to cataract prevention, turmeric also helps prevent cancer and Alzheimer’s, and helps reduce joint and back pain too!
6) Quit smoking
Smoking causes free radical production to EXPLODE throughout your body and puts you at risk for a whole slew of conditions stemming from chronic inflammation, including poor vision.
Your precious eyes are yet another addition to the long list of reasons why you should put that deadly habit behind you for good.
Don’t give up if you try to quit and then fall off the wagon! Most ex-smokers have reported having to quit several times before they finally stayed away for good.
7) Avoid aspartame (Equal, NutraSweet)
Vision problems are among the plethora of symptoms of aspartame poisoning.
If you must use a calorie-free sweetener, try stevia.
8) Avoid statin drugs
This list of statin dangers continues to grow, and you can add increasing your risk of cataracts on to the list!
A nutritious whole foods diet and regular exercise can go a LONG way in supporting healthy cholesterol levels without dangerous statins. And turmeric can help keep inflammation at bay, which is a trigger for cholesterol production.
Plus, probiotics like Super Shield multi-strain probiotic formula help support regular bowel movements, which is how your body eliminates old, worn-out cholesterol like it’s designed to.
Your eyes are most definitely one of your most precious gifts, and certainly nothing to take lightly.
Do whatever you can to take care of them now and help encourage strong eye health and clear vision into your golden years.
To your health,
Sherry Brescia
With all due respect, I think you are over simplifying the cataract issue by implying that supplements can prevent cataracts. My antioxidant-rich, 100% plant-based diet of 30+ years includes vitamins A, C, E, lutein, zeaxanthin, and curcumin. I wear sunglasses, I don’t smoke, and I have never consumed aspartame, My father had cataracts and I did too until several ophthalmologists said that the longer I waited to have them removed, the harder it would be to break the lens, which would yield a poorer outcome. Letting cataracts grow and “ripen” is a recipe for blindness down the road (do the research). Cataract surgery is one of the most frequently performed, successful surgeries. If you have concerns, get a baseline measure of the health of your eyes. While an optometrist can prescribe glasses, an ophthalmologist is an MD and can check the health of your eye re cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration, etc.
While we should all be proactive about our health, there are some things that are ultimately beyond our control.
Hi Mary!
Thank you for reaching out to us. We are happy to help in any way we can.
Tinnitus is commonly the result of an underlying condition, so in those cases it is the underlying condition that must be addressed.
However, some people have tinnitus that is either the result of trauma or loud music exposure, or the cause is indeterminable which makes it more difficult.
Possible food/drug sources of tinnitus aggravation include salt, artificial sweeteners, sugar, alcohol, prescription or over-the-counter medications, tobacco and caffeine. If you use any of those, perhaps you could test and see if they have an effect.
Generally speaking, all of our body’s systems work their best in an alkaline environment, so it certainly wouldn’t hurt to use Great Taste No Pain and proper food combining.
VitalMega-3 could be helpful as well by reducing inflammation, improving circulation and much more:
https://www.holisticblends.com/collections/supplements/products/vitalmega-3
We also recommend that you consume healthy fats such as avocados, olive oil, coconut oil, raw nuts and nut butters, and fatty fish (in moderation).
If you have not already done so, we recommend having your doctor test the B12 levels in your blood. A B12 deficiency in the body has been linked to chronic tinnitus. More so, it is common for many people who suffer from tinnitus to be deficient in vitamin B12: https://www.holisticblends.com/collections/supplements/products/hydroxaden-2-5
I agree with your usual wise comments but sometimes cataracts (and possibly other conditions) happen because of childhood diseases &/or their treatment at the time. My husband had cataract surgery at 60 and the Dr. told him it was a particular type of cataract developed bc of the rheumatic fever he had as a child in the early 60’s and the treatments then.
Eye Dr told me to take Preservision. He said I will need cataract surgery. I already take SuperShield daily.
Can you tell me what I can do about Tinnitus in my ears Thank you Mary